San Ysidro superintendent's paid leave extended

Manuel Paul appeared in Superior Court as part of the South Bay corruption case on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013. Fifteen defendants were indicted on 232 different charges involving bribery, perjury, filing a false instrument, influencing an elected official, and obtaining a thing of value to influence a member of a legislative body.

Manuel Paul appeared in Superior Court as part of the South Bay corruption case on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013. Fifteen defendants were indicted on 232 different charges involving bribery, perjury, filing a false instrument, influencing an elected official, and obtaining a thing of value to influence a member of a legislative body.

SAN YSIDRO  The San Ysidro School District board unanimously voted to extend Superintendent Manuel Paul’s paid leave 15 days. The decision came after a more than three-hour closed meeting that ended early Friday morning at Willow Elementary School in San Ysidro.

Paul, 61, was not present at the regular board meeting that was held before the closed session began at 11:10 p.m. Thursday. Board President Jason M-B Wells reconvened the open session at 2:28 a.m. Friday to report the action that was taken to the handful of audience members remaining in the multipurpose room.

“There will be a long-term resolution to the current situation in 15 days,” Wells said in an interview Friday.

The superintendent was placed on paid leave Jan. 15 after he and 14 other South County educators and contractors were indicted on corruption charges. Assistant Superintendent Gloria Madera was put in charge by the board.

Paul had testified last June that he accepted a $2,500 cash payment in a steak house parking lot from a contractor seeking business with the district. He explained that the money was for campaign signs for school board member Yolanda Hernandez, who was facing voters in November 2010. His testimony was part of a lawsuit against the district over a solar panel contract.

Paul, who attended San Ysidro schools as a child and worked for the district for 33 years, was named superintendent in November 2007, after serving as interim superintendent since August of that year. The district has eight schools and about 5,500 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, with an annual budget of about $33 million.

Paul and the other South County defendants were scheduled to be arraigned in February, but the proceeding was continued to April 12.